Tirzah (Place)

Tirzah was the early capital city of the divided kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 14:17; 15:21, 33; 16:6–23). It was one of the cities captured by Joshua during Israel's conquest of Canaan (Joshua 12:24).

Tirzah became an important city when King Jeroboam made it his home (1 Kings 14:17). Baasha planned to move his capital to Ramah but his war against Asa forced him to return to Tirzah (1 Kings 15:21). Tirzah also served as the capital city for the kings Elah, Zimri, and Omri during the first six years of Omri’s reign. But when Omri built a new capital called Samaria, Tirzah became less important.

In 753 BC, King Menahem used Tirzah to revolt against King Shallum (2 Kings 15:14). This might have been because of the rivalry between the cities of Tirzah and Samaria.

The city was known for being beautiful (Song of Solomon 6:4). It was built on a high hill, which would have given people a great view of the surrounding area. However, today we do not know exactly where the city was located.

From Tyndale Bible Dictionary, adapted by Mission Mutual. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Scripture References (7)

Joshua

2 Kings

Song of Solomon